Labyrinth
by Sohanna
Summary: Young Nova gets sick of her screaming brother, Chiro, one night an accidentally makes a wish. A mysterious Goblin King she previously thought to be just a myth grants her wish. Is Chiro gone forever? Labyrinth SRMTHFG remake. Spova and Slight Mandova


Of course, it was the most absurd idea anyone could ever think of. I set the book down, thinking about how much I needed to get out.

"Is that all, Novs?"

I glanced up at the waiter. I was one of his most frequent customers, and he made a policy of never letting anyone else serve me.

"Yeah, I'm good," I said. "Thanks Dave."

"That the same book?"

I glanced at the red-covered book on the table. The gold lettering was quite clear on it.

"Yeah, it is."

He chuckled as he scribbled on a receipt.

"You said you finished it," he muttered.

"I did," I replied. "I'm trying to remember some of the lines."

"And how ya doin' on that?"

I stared at the book for a moment, then smiled up at him.

"Not so well?" I said.

He laughed, handed me my receipt and turned away.

"Pay at the cash register."

"I will," I said, smiling.

I flipped open the book again.

"Give me the child. Through dangers untold and trials unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the child that you have stolen. My will is a strong as yours and my kingdom as great." I stared through the pages. "Damn. I can never get that part."

I slid my book into my purse, and I walked towards the register. The cash was in my hand and then it hit.

A loud gonging filled the café.

I looked up at the clock, ornate and old.

"Is it seven already?" I asked.

"Yeah?"

I slapped the cash onto the speckled counter and turned.

"Nova!"

"Keep the change, Dave!" I said. "I'm late!"

I ran through the streets in the pouring rain, the whole time wondering why I'd walked to the café instead of taking my bike. I slammed through the front door of my house.

There was my step-mom right in the door, dressed in her best.

"Nova," she said, scolding. "You're late!"

"I know, I know," I muttered, dropping my bags next to the door. I stormed up the stairs, slamming the door shut in my bedroom.

"Nova!" I heard her yell. "Get back down here, young lady!"

There was a resounding _th-th-thud! _as Mom pounded up the stairs.

"Nova, open this door!" she called. "I need to talk to you."

"Why should I?" I hollered. I sat down in front of my mirror, staring into it. "All you're doing is going out like you do every weekend! I never have free time."

"We… We put Chiro in bed and fed him. We're leaving now and we'll be home around midnight."

I stared at the door, or through it.

"You really wanted to talk to me didn't you," I said. "Practically broke down the door!"

I slammed the book I was holding down onto my table and charged to the bed. The pillows were soft and welcoming. As I rolled over and looked at my shelf, I spotted a distinctly empty space.

"Someone's been in my room!" I bolted up and stormed out the door. There was whining coming from mom and dad's room, which I slammed into. There was a plush toy of a white monkey on the floor.

"Antauri!" I darted forward and grabbed the plushie off the floor. I looked to my right into the crib where a little black monkey was crying. His blue eyes were wet and his chubby little cheeks were streaked with tears. I glared at him.

"I hate you!" I snarled. "I hate you so much."

I stood. His whining became much worse. I cuddled my plushie into my chest.

"You shouldn't touch Antauri," I growled.

The little brat screamed louder and louder.

"Alright, alright!" I dropped the doll on the bed and sat down. "You wanna hear a story? I've got a story. There was once a beautiful girl who had a screaming brat of a brother and a step mother who made her spoil him."

The boy screamed more, clinging to the bedposts. His face wrenched into a terrible scream.

"Every day the girl slaved away for days and says silently," I said, grinning. I stood, and walked to the mirror. "But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl and had given her special powers."

I snatched on of Chiro's striped shirts and slid it on my head like a pirate's cap.

" 'Say yer right words,' the goblins said, 'and we'll take the boy away to the Goblin City,'" I muttered. "But the girl knew… she knew…" I strode over to the side of the crib. "… that if the goblin's did take the boy, the Goblin Kind would keep him forever, and make him one of them. So she remained silent, until one day, when her stepmother'd been particularly cruel to her and the boy particularly demanding…"

He screamed louder and louder, demanding attention.

"Alright, alright!" I said, pulling him up out of the bed. "Just shut up, please?"

Chiro didn't.

"I'll say the words!" I threatened. "No, I mustn't. I mustn't say… I wish…"

There was a long silence, well, at least silence from me, for Chiro kept right on screaming.

"I can bear it no longer." I lifted Chiro into the air. "Goblin King, Goblin King, take this child of mine far away from me!"

A crash of thunder and lightening outside, no more. The screaming baby was still in my arms. I pulled him into mu chest.

"I wish I i_did/i _know what to say to make the goblins take you away," I snarled. I laid him down in bed, still screaming, and pulled the covers up over him. As I walked towards the door and held the switch to turn the lights off, I said, "I wish the goblins i_would/i_ come take you away." I flipped the switch, turning the lights off, and added, "Right now!"

I slammed the door and took two steps out into the hall, when the screaming stopped abruptly. I stood there for a minute, wondering what had happened. Had the Goblin King really taken Chiro? No, that was silly. It was just a story. But then… Chiro never shut up.

I turned and slammed back through the door, staring into blackness.

"Chiro?" I called. "Chiro, why have you stopped crying?"

I tried to flick the lights back on, but they refused. I flicked the switch up and down a couple times, with still no success.

"Chiro?" I called again.

Suddenly, the covers in the crib twitched, and there was a demonic giggle. I jolted and stared for a minute, but continued forward. I reached into the crib, clutching the edge of the covers. I threw them up, almost screaming.

"Chiro!" He was gone!

Suddenly, I heard moving behind me, more demonic giggles. I turned, trying to see. I saw a shadow dart into a corner and another fly into a drawer. Just as I was about to attack one of them, more sounds occurred behind me, and when I turned, more shadows fled into corners. It happened again and again, until I was dancing in circles.

The storm raged outside, the thunder crackling. There was a loud THUD THUD at the window. An orange owl was trying to get in. The window flung open wide, and the owl flew in, flapping in my face. I shrieked and waved my hands about my head trying to get rid of it.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed. As the flapping resided, I dared to open my eyes again.

There, standing with his back to the window, was a tall, male robot monkey. His fur was orange, and his eyes were blacker than night. He wore strange armor and a black cloak that blew in the wind.

"You're… you're him aren't you?" I muttered. "You're the Goblin King!"

I stared for a minute, wondering what to do.

"Give my brother back!"

"What's said has been said," he said in a voice like velvet. His eyes were hard and his face somewhat stern, but hidden behind his eyes was a sort of intrigue. As he spoke, sharpened teeth made themselves known. "You can't alter the course of what's happened."

"Please! I-I didn't mean it!" I said.

"Oh, you didn't?" he replied, raising an eye ridge.

"No, I didn't," I muttered, fighting back tears.

"Look," he said, holding his hand out. A clear ball materialized in his hand. "Do you know what this is?"

"It's a Fushigi," I murmured, rather unimpressed.

"It's a crystal," he said, flipping it over in his hands. A twinge of irritation flashed in his eyes. He rolled it from his palm over his fingers, to the back of his hand and back again, just flowing and flowing. "If you turn it like this, it'll show you your dreams."

I stared at it. I saw nothing, but something led me to believe it was more than a simple ball.

"But this," he snapped, turning my attention back to him, "is no ordinary gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby." He held it out. "Do you want it?"

I watched his eyes. An unreadable desire lingered in them. It was very odd.

"Then forget the baby," he finished.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to give me… but that's my little brother. He's very dear to me and I need to get to him."

"Nova," he snarled. The ball flashed like lightening, and in its place was a snake. The king stretched it out, holding it a little closer to me than I was comfortable with. "Don't defy me," he growled.

Then he threw it at me. It hooked on my shoulders. I squealed and tried to grab it and throw it off, but as I did, the texture changed. It was cloth. I threw it on the floor, and a little furry monster popped up from underneath a scarf, cackled evilly, and scurried away.

"You're no match for me," he said, a small smile on his face.

"But I have to have my brother back!" I insisted.

A frustrated look crossed the goblin king's face.

"He's there, in my castle." He turned away and the view outside of the window was opened to me. But, instead of it being my neighborhood, it was a strange land with a maze in it. I stepped forward, staring at it. The sky was orange and foggy, not the stormy, dark night it had been earlier.

"It doesn't look that far," I muttered, trying to convince myself more than the strange monkey behind me.

"It's further than you know," he replied. I turned, and I was no longer in my house. I was on a hill in this new and strange land. The king pointed to a clock. Not an ordinary one with the numbers one to twelve. Instead, it had the numbers one to thirteen.

"You have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and get to the castle before your baby brother becomes one of us forever," the king said. As he spoke, both he and the clock faded away.

As soon as he was gone, I turned back to the labyrinth and sighed.

"Well," I muttered, "c'mon feet. Let's get going."

I ran towards the gate, unsure of how this day would continue.


End file.
